Plural-lamp-holding device.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

PLURAL LAMP HOLDING DEV 12GB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907. 942,240. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. B. BENJAMIN. PLURAL LAMP HOLDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5.1907.

942,240. I Patented Dec.7,-1909.

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R. B. BENJAMIN.

PLURAL LAMP HOLDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

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PLURAL LAMP HOLDING DEVICE.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

942,240. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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R. B. BENJAMIN. PLURAL LAMP HOLDING DEVICE. APPLIOATION 13mm AUG. 5,1907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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R. B. BENJAMIN. PLURAL LAMP HOLDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5,1907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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K 51. 1% MW "UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIs, ASSIGNOB. T0 BENJAMIN ELECTRICMANUFACTURING COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIs.

PLUBAL-LAMP-HOLDING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inPlural-Lamp-Holding Devices, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to plural lamp-holding devices and contemplatesgeneral improvements in the construction thereof.

It is desirable, in electric socket devices wherein a plurality ofincandescent lamps are to be accommodated, that the structure be ofminimum weight, durable, and of good appearance, and that the partsthereof be so constructed and relatively disposed as to admit ofconvenient access to the current-carrying members, whereby the properelectrical connections may be made.

To these ends I have designed the device of which several forms comingwithin the scope of the invention, are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In these drawings, in which the same reference characters are applied tolike parts throughout the various figures, Figure 1 is a top plan viewof one form of my invention, the back plate of the casing being removedto reveal the interior construction; Fig. 2 is a partial diametricalsectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the directionindicated by the arrows; Fig. 3 illustrates another form of myinvention; Fig. 4 is a diametrical sectional View on the line 4-4 ofFigs. 3 and 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, looking inthe direction of the arrows; Fig. (5 is an under-side view of the deviceshown in Fig. 3, the inclosing casing being removed; Fig. 7 is a detailperspective view illustrating the method of supporting thelamp-receiving Contact shells; Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustratingin detail the construction of the center contacts employed; Fig. 9 is aperspective view of a non-conducting block employed for insulat ing thecurrent-carrying members of the device from each other; Fig. 10'is aplan view of another form of my invention, the back plate of theinclosing casing being removed; Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on theline Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 5, 1807.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Serial No. 387,091.

11-11 of Figs. 10 and 12, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows; Fig. 12 is a view of the under side of this form of the device,the inclosing casing being removed; Fig. 13 is a detail perspective viewillustrating the construction of the lamp-receiving contact shellsemployed in this form of the device; Fig. 14 illustrates the form ofinsulating blocks employed in this construction; and Fig. 15 shows indetail the construction of the center contacts employed therein.

Describing first the form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the entiredevice is supported by a pipe or conduit 16 which extends from theceiling or other suitable primary support, and through which theconductors of the supply circuit are led to the binding terminals of thecurrent-carrying members of the cluster. This conduit, which isordinarily of iron pipe, is screw-threaded at its lower end and takesinto a corresponding screw-threaded opening in the supporting member 17.This supporting member 17 is provided with a plurality of radiallyextending legs 19 of which there may be as many as desired but are shownas being three in number. To each of these legs is secured an insulatingblock 20 by any suitable means, as, for instance, by a screw 21 passingthrough the block and threading into a corresponding opening in the leg19. These in sulating blocks 20, 20, 20 are adapted to support andinsulate from each other the current-conducting members of the deviceand are suitably stepped, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9, to form thebearing surfaces 22, 23 and 24 at different heights and differentdistances from the center of the device, the corresponding surfaces onthe several blocks lying in the same horizontal plane. To these surfacesare separately secured the various Current-conducting members. On thelaterally-registering surfaces 22 of the several insulating blocks issecured a ring 25 by means of bolts 26 passing therethrough and throughthe insulating members and provided with suitable nuts 27. On theseveral laterally-registering surfaces 24, 24 is secured a ring 28 bymeans of bolts 29 passing therethrough and through the insulatingmember, and provided with nuts 30." These rings 25 and 28 form thesupporting means for the lamp-receiving Contact shells 31, 31, themethod whereby the shell is mounted being best illustrated by Figs. 4and 7. Each lamp-receiving shell 31 is provided with the oppositelydisposed lugs 32 and 33 which are secured to the rings 25 and 28respectively by means of rivets 3 1, or in any other suitable manner. Itwill be seen that with the lamp-receiving shells supported in thismanner any desired number thereof, within the capacity of the device,may be secured to the rings 25 and 28, these shells being circularlyarranged as illustrated in Fig. 1. While either one or both of theserings may be utilized to carry current, in this description I consideronly the ring 28 as being essentially of electrically-conductivematerial. By this construction all of the lamp-receiving contact shellsin the cluster are electrically united. A suitable binding-screw 35 isprovided for the ring 28, whereby one of the conductors G of the supplycircuit may be attached thereto.

Upon the several laterally-registering surfaces 23 there is secured theconducting ring 36 by means of bolts 37 passing therethrough and throughthe insulating member and engaging with suitable nuts 38. Thisconducting ring 36 is disposed approximately midway between the rings 25and 28 and forms the means for supporting and electrically-uniting thecenter contacts which engage the lamps inserted into the receivingshells 31.

As best shown in Figs. l, 5 and 8, the center contacts consist ofproperly disposed spring members 39 which are secured to the ring 36 bymeans of rivets 10 or by any other suitable means. The shell contacts asherein shown, have interior screw-threads for the reception ofincandescent lamps, of the Edison type, but contacts of otherconstruction may be employed to accommodate other types of lamps. Thering 36 not only forms the supporting means for all the center contacts,but in the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it electricallyunites them as well, and is provided with a binding-screw 4:1 wherebythe proper conductors of the electrical supply circuit may be attachedthereto. lVith this circuit arrange ment the lamps inserted in thevarious sockets are connected in parallel. A casing or housing -12 issuitably supported to inclose the parts hereinbefore described, and aback plate 43 is also provided to further assist in protecting theinterior structure. This back plate may, conveniently, be clampedbetween the body portion of the supporting member 17 and the inclosingtube 44 which is provided about the conduit 16 to give the entirefixture a finished appearance. The casing 42 is provided with aplurality of openings 4-5, 45 in the periphery thereof which correspondin position to the lamp-receiving contact shells 31. W hen the casing isin place the contact shells will, therefore, register with the openingsin the casing, and a bushing 1-6, formed of insulating material andhaving interior screwthreads, may be disposed in each of said openingsand threaded upon the exterior screw threads provided on thelamp-receiving shells. Each of these insulating bushings is providedwith a. shoulder 17 which engages the surface of the casing and supportsthe same when the bushings are screwed up into place. To secure a jointbetween the casing and the back plate, which will be dust-proof and ofgood appearance, the casing is provided with the upwardly extending rimflange 4-8, with which the downwardly extending rim flange 4-9 on theback plate is in close engagement. To aliford access to the bindingscrews of the device the casing 42 may be provided with a removable cap41-2 which screws into a suit-- able opening formed in the under side ofthe casing.

It will be seen that this structure is extremely light, due to theemployment of a plurality of small insulating blocks to support thecurrent-carrying members and to insulate the same, instead of themassive insulating base oi the prior-art structures. Access is readilyobtained to the conductive members by the mere removal of the screw cap12, and, as the conducting rings and sockets are supported entirely bythe conduit or iron pipe, it is apparent: that the electricalconnections may be readily and conveniently made without the use ofslack wire.

It is frequently desirable to provide means whereby some of the lamps inthe cluster may remain extinguished while the other lamps are lighted.In Figs. 3 to (3 inclusive 1 have illustrated a device whereby thisdesirable result may be attained.

The general construction being identical with that of the device ofFigs. 2 and 3, no

detailed description is necessary except as to those parts which aremodified in construction. The adaptation to this end resides essentiallyin the construction ol the conducting ring 36. Instead of consisting ofa continuous ring or conductive material, as in the structureillustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, the ring 36 is composed of a plurality ofindividually insulated segments. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 this ring iscomposed of three such segments, indicated respectively by thecharacters a, 7), and 0, but it will appear that the principle ofoperation is the same regardless of the number of segments employed. Toproperly support and insulate these segments, the insulating blocks 20,20, 20 are made of greater width than those in the structure of F l and2 and the segments a, 7) and c are disposed to span the respectivespaces between the blocks. The additional width of each insulating blockadmits of the accommodation of a separate bolt 26 for each of thesegment ends secured thereto and permits the separation of therespective segments whereby they are effectively insulated from eachother. These segments at, b and 0 have the same function as thecontinuous ring of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, thefunction of forming means whereby the center terminals of theincandescent lamps inserted in the shells 31, may be connected with thesupply circuit. Thus each segment may form the means whereby the centercontacts of a part of the group of lamps are connected together and towhich conductors, leading from the supply circuit, maybe attached. Ihave herein shown each of said segments as carrying two contact members39 placed in register with proximately disposed contact shells, but itwill be apparent that the segments may carry any number of contactmembers or be associated with any number of contact shells to secure anydesired circuit arrangement.

Each segment is provided with a bindingscrew 41 whereby the properelectrical con-.

ductor may be secured thereto, Suitable switching mechanism beingemployed in a convenient part of the circuit, it is evident that eachsegment may be connected with the current source either alone ortogether with part or all of the other segments whereby part of thelamps in the cluster may be lighted while others are extinguished, orall the lamps in the group may be lighted simultaneously.

In Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive I have shown another modified form withinthe scope of my invention, wherein the current-carrying members arecarried by the inclosing casing instead of being permanently secured tothe conduit. In these figures only those parts concerned in themodification will be described in detail.

The back plate 43 of the casing is secured by screws 51 to the disk 50screw-threaded on the pipe 16. A suitable number of screws 52 engage inthe upwardly-extending rim flange 48 of the casing 52, and thedownwardly-extending rim flange 49 of the back plate 43, whereby thecasing is properly supported in position. An annular shoulder 53 isformed near the top of the casing 4-2 and the ring 25, which isindicated as being of insulating material, is supported by saidshoulder. This ring in this form of the device acts only as a supportingmember to which the lugs 82 of the lamp-receiving shells are attached bymeans of screws 34 and does not serve to electrically connect saidshells as it is desirable that the casing be insulated from thecurrentcarrying members. The electrical union of the contact-shells 31is obtained by way of the ring 28 which is of electrically-conductivematerial and is attached to the extending lugs 33 of the contact shells,as in the other forms of my invention. The slightly modified form ofthese extending lugs on the contact shells employed in this modifiedstructure is shown particularly in Fig. 13. These lugs are secured tothe rings 25 and 28 by means of screws 34 The openings 45, 45 about theperiphery of the casing 42, have the sleeves 54 secured therein and eachof these sleeves is provided with the insulating lining 55, thecontact-shells 31 being disposed within said sleeves and being insulatedtherefrom by said linings. The binding-screw 35 is provided on the plate28 and corresponds to the screw 35 of the other forms of the device, towhich the proper electrical supply conductors may be attached.

Secured on the upper side of ring 28 and suitably relatively disposedthereon are blocks 20 20 20 of insulating material. While these blocksmay be secured in any desired manner I have herein illustrated themethod of attachment to be by means of screws 56 passing through theblock and having threaded engagement with the ring, the head thereofbeing suitably sunk within the block. Similarly secured to the uppersides of these blocks by means of screws 57 is the conducting ring 86which carries the center contacts for the sockets. These center contactsare secured to extending lugs 36" on the ring 36 and consist in springmembers 39 secured to these lugs by means of screws 40 The springcontact members employed in this modification are slightly diiferentfrom the analogous spring members employed in the other forms of myinvention, so as to conveniently secure the proper disposition thereofto meet the center terminals of the lamps inserted in the correspondingcontact shells. This modified construction of the spring member is shownin detail in Fig. 15. The ring 36 may be either a continuous conductingmember, similar to the analogous ring of the form shown in Figs. 1 and2, in which case only one bindingscrew 41 is provided, or it may becomposed of a plurality of segments as in the structure illustrated inFigs. 3 to 6, in which case each segment is provided with such abinding-screw to provide for the lighting of some of the lamps in thecluster while the others remain extinguished.

In Fig. 14 I have shown in detail the insulating block 20, employed inthis structure, where it is indicated as being of suflicient width toadmit of the attachment thereto of the adjacent ends of the ringsegments in such a manner as to insure their insulation from each other.

In this form of my invention, when the electrical connections aredesired to be made, the screws 52, 52 are withdrawn to admit of theseparation of the casing 42 from the back plate 43. Suflicient slack &

wire being employed it is apparent that when the casing is so removedthe currentcarrying parts of the cluster will be carried therewith andthe circuit connections may readily be made.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a plurallamp-holding device, the combination with a supporting member, of aplurality of radially-extending legs therefor, an insulating blocksecured to each of said legs, electrical contact and lamp-holdingdevices carried by said blocks, and a casing inclosing said blocks andsaid contact and lampholding devices, said casing having openingsregistering with said lampholding devices.

2. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a supportingmember, of a plurality of insulating blocks secured thereto, anelectrically conductive member secured to said blocks, lamp-holdingdevices secured to said electrically conductive member, a secondelectrically conductive member separately secured to said blocks andarranged to conduct current to the center 0011- tacts of the lamps, ametallic casing having openings registering with said lamp-holdingdevices, and means surrounding each of said lamp-holding devices forinsulating the same from said casing.

3. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, of aplurality of legs extending radially therefrom, an insulating membersecured to each of said legs, and a pair of current-carrying supportingmembers separately secured to said insulating members, a plurality oflampreceiving contact shells carried by one of said members, and aplurality of contact members carried by the other of said members forassociation with said shells.

4. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a supportingmember, of a plurality of legs extending therefrom, an insulating membersecured to each of said legs, an electrically-conductive supporting ringsecured to said insulating members, a plurality of lamp-receivingcontact shells secured. to said ring, a second electricallyconductivesupporting ring separately secured to said insulating members, and aplurality of contacts carried by said second ring and associated withsaid shells to engage the center terminals of lamps inserted therein.

5. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, of aplurality of insulating blocks carried by said support, anelectrically-conductive member carried by said blocks, a plurality oflamp-receiving contact shells secured to and carried by saidelectrically-conductive member, a second electrically-conductive memberseparately carried by said blocks, and a plurality of contacts carriedby said second electricallyconductive member, said contacts beingassociated with said contact shells to engage the center terminals oflamps inserted therein.

6. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with anelectrically-conductive shellsupporting member, of a plurality oflamp-receiving shells connected together and supported by said member, asecond electrically-conductive supporting member carried with andseparated from said firstnamed supporting member by a plurality ofinsulating blocks, and a plurality of contact members carried by saidsecond member and associated with said contact shells so as to engagewith the center terminals of lamps inserted therein.

7. In a plural lamp-holding device, a current-carrying shell-supportingmember, a plurality of lamp-receiving contact shells secured to andsupported by said member, a second current-carrying supporting membermounted with said first-named member, a plurality of insulating blocksseparating said currentcarrying members, and contact members carried bysaid second member and associated with said contact shells to engage thecenter terminals of lamps inserted therein.

8. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a supportingmember, of a plu 'ality of insulating blocks secured thereto, each ofsaid blocks having a series of separated bearing surfaces,electricallyconductive supporting rings secured on said surfaces, andlamp-holding devices and contacts therefor carried by said electricallyconductive members.

9. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, of aplurality of insulating blocks secured to said support, a series ofseparated bearing surfaces on each of said insulating blocks, thecorresponding surfaces on all of said blocks lying in the same plane, acurrent-carrying ring secured to a set of corresponding surfaces on saidinsulating blocks, lamp-holding de vices carried by said ring, and asecond electrically-conductive ring secured to a separate set ofcorresponding surfaces on said insulating blocks.

10. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, ofa plurality of insulating blocks secured tosaid member, each of saidblocks having a series of bearing surfaces at different heights anddifferent distances from the center of said support, the correspondingsurfaces of all of the blocks lying in the same plane, an annular memberupon each set of corresponding surfaces on said blocks and a pluralityof lamp holding devices secured to a pair of said annular members, oneof which is of electrically-conductive material, a separate annularmember of conductive material serving to connect with the terminals ofthe lamps supported by said lamp-holding devices.

11. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, ofa plurality of insulating blocks secured to said support, a group oflamp-holding devices, an electrically-conductive annular member to whichone of the contacts of each of said lamp-holding devices is secured, anda plurality of electrically-conductive' segment members spanning thespaces between the insulating blocks and supporting the oppositecontacts of the proximately disposed lamp-holding devices.

12. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, ofa plurality of insulating blocks secured to said support, anelectrically-conductive annular member secured to said blocks, aplurality of lamp terminal engaging contacts carried by said annularmember, and a plurality of electrically-conductive segment membersmounted on said insulating blocks, spanning the spaces therebetween,insulated from each other and adapted to make electrical connection withterminals of lamps inserted in the proximately disposed holding devices.

13. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination with a support, ofa plurality of insulating blocks secured to said support, an annularcurrent-carrying member secured to said insulating blocks, a group oflampreceiving contact shells secured to said member, a plurality ofcurrent-carrying segment members secured to said blocks and spanning thedistance therebetween, and contact members carried by each of saidsegment members for engagement with the center terminals of lampsinserted in a portion of the group of holding devices.

14. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination of a bowl-shapedcasing having lamp-receiving openings, a back-plate, a plurality ofinsulating blocks within said casing, two conducting plates secured tosaid blocks and spaced apart thereby,

threaded shells corresponding to and registering with the openings ofthe casing and secured to one of said plates, lamp-engaging contactscarried by the other of said plates, and binding terminals on each ofsaid plates.

15. In a plural lamp-holding device, a plurality of insulating blocks, aconducting plate secured to said blocks, a plurality of threaded shellssecured to said plate, a casing having openings through which saidshells project, means for securing said casing and said shells togetherand insulating one from the other, a binding terminal for said plate,and a second plate within said casing arranged to conduct current to thecenter terminals of lamps inserted into said shells, said second-namedplate having a binding terminal.

16. In a plural lamp-holding device, a plurality of insulating blocks, aconducting member secured to said blocks, a binding terminal therefor, asecond conducting member, lamp-receiving shells secured to saidlast-named conducting member and arranged to support lamps in positionto engage said first-named conducting member, a binding terminal forsaid second-named conducting member, and a casing inclosing saidconducting members and blocks.

17. In a plural lamp-holding device, a plurality of insulating blocks, aconducting member secured to said blocks, a binding terminal therefor, asecond conducting member, lamp-receiving shells secured to saidlast-named conducting member and arranged to support lamps in positionto engage said first-named conducting member, a binding terminal forsaid second-named conducting member, a casing inclosing said conductingmembers and blocks, said casing having openings opposite said shells forthe reception of lamps.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

M. L. FARRAR, C. L. HOPKINS.

